"Good Neighbor Award Winners"

Third Quarter 2007

Second Quarter 2007

 Honroed at the June 19 Town Board meeting are:

Sharon and Dick Ahlman.  In a letter to the Supervisor, a resident wrote of the Ahlmans, “They have been a great support to me since my husband was diagnosed with a chronic illness.  Much of the day goes to the care of my husband. The Ahlmans have done our grocery shopping and errands, taken cars to the repair shop for maintenance, been here in the wee hours to support me through a number of crises, and kept us up to date on what’s going on in the outside world.”  

Greg and Rose Bulger.  The Bulgers live near an elderly couple.  The couple’s daughter described how the Bulgers help:  “Greg has plowed my parents’ driveway every winter and shoveled their walk whenever needed.  They have refused any type of payment and both have been very helpful and patient with my father who has health issues… it is a great sense of relief to know that both Greg and Rose are so close and willing to lend a hand.”

Tom Dentinger.  Tom was nominated by a neighbor for “the effort he makes to keep our neighbors connected to each other and to maintain a sense of community… Tom arranges a Christmas party, July 4th block party, a fall clambake, and an annual baseball outing for our street… He is passionate about his love for the neighborhood and his desire to maintain a peaceful, friendly, and safe environment to live in.”  

Virginia and Edwin Fleche.  A resident wrote to Supervisor Heyman of the Fleches, “I am a stroke patient.  They have furnished my husband and me with evening meals for something better than three months and would accept no monies for their kindness...  Every evening Ed would appear at our front door wearing an apron and carrying a tray with two hot meals on it… Each night around the time that he would arrive, there I sat in my ‘stroke’ chair, knife and fork in hand, waiting for his knock on the door… I have only the use of one hand and leg, so you can see why we appreciated them so.”  

First Quarter 2007

At the May 15, 2007 Town Board meeting, Supervisor Heyman honored five residents with the first Good Neighbor Awards:

Paul E. Baker was awarded a Bronze Star -- 63 years late.  During World War II, Paul saved the lives of several Marines during the battle of Iwo Jima, despite being wounded.  But he never received the Bronze Star he was recommended for until 2007.  "The Good Neighbor Award is a small way for the Town to say thanks to Paul for his sacrifices to our country," said Supervisor Heyman. 

George Blechinger, a resident of the Berkshire Farms Home for Boys, spends countless hours volunteering for the Red Cross.  "Volunteers are the backbone of our community, and George is entirely selfless in his giving," said Supervisor Heyman.

Harlan Brody organized a massive cleanup of the shore of Irondequoit Bay as part of Earth Day.  Volunteers collected tons of debris.  "The bay is one of our most precious resources.  We're grateful to Harlan for taking the initiative to protect our environment," said Supervisor Heyman.

Wolodymyr "Mirko" Plyshenko is a longtime member of the library board and an active community volunteer.  When the Ukranian Ambassador to the US visited Irondequoit in April, he recognized Mirko's commitment to his community.  "Mirko is someone you can always count on," said Supervisor Heyman. 

Dalton Thomas, a student at Iroquois Middle School, recently received the Presidential Medal for Volunteerism.  Dalton dedicated over 150 hours of his time to the Meals on Wheels program.  "With youth like Dalton, Irondequoit will have a bright future," said Supervisor Heyman.